I agree Andy - I will give an example of why I put my view across:
A former candidate of mine was an instructor in the military (bomb disposal) and he basically said "screw this PADI system, I will teach my way." So he did. And he gave a great presentation, but failed because he didn't hit the points that are required for an IDC presentation, such as a coherent introduction and conclusion, appropriate contact and conduct, etc.
When we teach in the real world, we don't give full IDC presentations for every single missed question, of course, and my argument is that one should look at an IDC presentation as training for an entire course, not just one question. The subject material is, I think, to some extent irrelevant; IDC presentations are more about the the ability to interact well with a class and coherently pass on information to divers who may have very little understanding of anything at all (hence the need for the non-diving contact). Promotion of continuing education classes is great, I don't think anybody could argue against further learning, and of course, selling stuff is vitally important in many places.
It is a 10-15 minute snapshot of the "real world", which is why I ask my students to look carefully at what they are scoring points for and read between the lines, as it were. Identifying shortcomings in students is essential and hence the need for appropriate contacts to suit.
I agree FAR too many people spend far too much time looking for a non-diving training aid, and I've had to fail students because their non-diving training aid/contact is wholly inappropriate: "imagine you just drank a bottle of whisky (here's a bottle of whisky) and went driving in your car, well, this is a bit like nitrogen narcosis..." (True story!)
What I mean by box ticking is that to pass an IDC presentation, you have to score certain points by presenting things in a certain way in order to pass. What you do after the IE is a different story, as long as you are an able teacher, therefore tick those boxes that require it, and concentrate on the actual goals of the teaching.
I could use a non-diving contact as a training aid here: A friend and I took our motorcycle courses and tests together. I was a much better rider than he was during the course, and I didn't fall off the bike three times, but he passed his test and I failed, because he hit all the points and I accidentally stalled across a junction - automatic fail. The problem is that a subjective approach to examination would have passed me as a better rider, but the objective box-ticking approach failed me. This is how the Instructor Examiners have to approach the IE - there has to be a grading standard and it cannot possibly be subjective, as much as we would like it to be.
The final exam, I always tell my students, is not the IE, it is your first job. It is possible for completely useless people to pass an instructor exam, just as in a driving test, but if they can't prove themselves in the real world, they don't least very long as instructors.
Sorry for the long winded reply (day off in the pub again!) but I do want to make sure that readers understand I teach instructors, not box-tickers!
Cheers,
C.
A former candidate of mine was an instructor in the military (bomb disposal) and he basically said "screw this PADI system, I will teach my way." So he did. And he gave a great presentation, but failed because he didn't hit the points that are required for an IDC presentation, such as a coherent introduction and conclusion, appropriate contact and conduct, etc.
When we teach in the real world, we don't give full IDC presentations for every single missed question, of course, and my argument is that one should look at an IDC presentation as training for an entire course, not just one question. The subject material is, I think, to some extent irrelevant; IDC presentations are more about the the ability to interact well with a class and coherently pass on information to divers who may have very little understanding of anything at all (hence the need for the non-diving contact). Promotion of continuing education classes is great, I don't think anybody could argue against further learning, and of course, selling stuff is vitally important in many places.
It is a 10-15 minute snapshot of the "real world", which is why I ask my students to look carefully at what they are scoring points for and read between the lines, as it were. Identifying shortcomings in students is essential and hence the need for appropriate contacts to suit.
I agree FAR too many people spend far too much time looking for a non-diving training aid, and I've had to fail students because their non-diving training aid/contact is wholly inappropriate: "imagine you just drank a bottle of whisky (here's a bottle of whisky) and went driving in your car, well, this is a bit like nitrogen narcosis..." (True story!)
What I mean by box ticking is that to pass an IDC presentation, you have to score certain points by presenting things in a certain way in order to pass. What you do after the IE is a different story, as long as you are an able teacher, therefore tick those boxes that require it, and concentrate on the actual goals of the teaching.
I could use a non-diving contact as a training aid here: A friend and I took our motorcycle courses and tests together. I was a much better rider than he was during the course, and I didn't fall off the bike three times, but he passed his test and I failed, because he hit all the points and I accidentally stalled across a junction - automatic fail. The problem is that a subjective approach to examination would have passed me as a better rider, but the objective box-ticking approach failed me. This is how the Instructor Examiners have to approach the IE - there has to be a grading standard and it cannot possibly be subjective, as much as we would like it to be.
The final exam, I always tell my students, is not the IE, it is your first job. It is possible for completely useless people to pass an instructor exam, just as in a driving test, but if they can't prove themselves in the real world, they don't least very long as instructors.
Sorry for the long winded reply (day off in the pub again!) but I do want to make sure that readers understand I teach instructors, not box-tickers!
Cheers,
C.
